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Atkinson signs extension with Columbus

Three days after signing Matt Calvert to a two-year extension, the Columbus Blue Jackets ensured that another of their young forwards will be staying with the team for a while.

The team announced Friday that Cam Atkinson has also signed a two-year extension with the club. Financial terms of the contract we're not revealed by the team.

In his second season with the Blue Jackets, the 23-year-old set career highs with eight goals and 16 points in 34 games. Columbus plays their last game of the regular season Saturday against the Nashville Predators and are still fighting to clinch the team's first playoff appearance since 2009.

"I'm so excited to be part of this group for the next two years and build on the good things we've done so far," Atkinson told BlueJackets.com. "I know it sounds cliche and everyone keeps saying it, but it's so true. The camaraderie and trust that we've built with each other is amazing."

The Boston College product was drafted in the sixth round of the 2008 Draft and first rose to prominence at Avon Old Farms in Connecticut, the same school where Brian Leetch and Jonathan Quick once played. After being named a Hockey East First-Team All-Star and Hockey East Tournament MVP in 2011, Atkinson broke out as a professional this past season when he scored 29 goals and collected 44 points in 51 games with Springfield of the American Hockey League. Thursday night against the Dallas Stars, Atkinson scored twice in a crucial 3-1 win that kept the Blue Jackets' playoff hopes alive.